They Blog For You

             Listening to Mr Clegg this morning, I was struck by the central paradox. He said the most important thing the government was doing was a short term fix to cut the deficit. He rightly argued that getting on top of the deficit was essential for economic growth and stability [...]

The government wants to do more to promote social mobility. It wants more children to enter higher paid employment from home backgrounds that brought them up on benefits or low incomes. There are many ways for young people to aspire to much higher incomes than their parents. They all entail lots [...]

  Paul Maynard the new Tory MP for Blackpool was on the next table to mine in the Terrace Cafeteria at lunchtime today. I noticed that he was shuffling some papers with intriguing pictures of power stations. He told me that he was speaking in today's final adjournment debate in which [...]

Interesting article by Nick Clegg and Iain Duncan Smith on the need for greater social mobility in today's Telegraph.  They are absolutely right to point to the problem.  What bothers me are their proposed solutions, which all seem to be about government doing more. The coalition duo begin their article by accepting that Labour's big [...]

Gove has established quite a reputation for turning all he touches, not to gold, but to dust.   His Big Idea of course is to raise standards by spreading Academies all over the country and providing incentives for parents to set up Swedish-style so-called ‘free schools’.   It’s true that UK educational [...]

Pupils from Claires Court Schools have interviewed Theresa as part of the BBC’s School Report challenge. The School Report takes place every year and gives children aged 11 to 14 the chance to make their own news reports on issues of concern to them. Theresa was interviewed by Year 9 [...]

Delyn MP David Hanson walked for water at Westminster today as part of a global campaign to raise...

Delyn MP David Hanson walked for water at Westminster today as part of a global campaign to raise awareness for the world water and sanitation crisis.   Marking the United Nations World Water Day, David Hanson joined hundreds of thousands of people across the globe who walked in solidarity with the almost [...]

Chloe Smith will tomorrow be joining staff and pupils of Sprowston Junior School to take part in Aspirations Week and Red Nose Day fun. Sprowston Junior School have invited Chloe Smith MP to the finale of their 'Aspirations Week' programme to talk to the pupils about why she wanted to become [...]

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, will on Friday 11th March be visiting the Nationwide Building Society as part of her ongoing campaign to improve financial services and advice in Norwich. Chloe has been working locally with the Citizens Advice Bureau and other local organisations in the private, public and voluntary [...]

                   After thirteen years of mistakes and economic disaster, it is refreshing to hear a Minister say “Sorry” when he or she has presided over a mistake. It is also reassuring  that the mistakes have not been on the scale of the Boom/Bust errors of Labour.                  One apology may be [...]

               I was intrigued to see criticism of the BBC for running endless stories of cuts in public spending. However, I also recollect that last summer and autumn I was a very lonely voice pointing out that the government plans to increase current public spending in cash terms every year [...]

CARDIFF West MP, Kevin Brennan, has congratulated Pace2Be after they were awarded the Public Health National Good Practice Award.Place2Be takes place inside schools like Herbert Thompson in Ely to improve the emotional well-being of children, their families and the whole school community."I visited Place2Be at Hebert Thompson and was very [...]

During the General Election I explained  that the government had been borrowing far too much. I was clear that we needed to curb the rate of increase in borrowing and public spending, and warned that would mean cuts in some areas, and a tight set of budgets. I promised to [...]

                   The opponents of Free schools are complaining that the government has allocated £50 million of capital to such schools. They are seeking to suggest that the government will end up spending much more than £50 million. Is this true, and does it matter?                   The government has ruled out allowing for [...]

Recently you will have found me moaning about downward trends, like the drop in the provision of vital benefits, or falling levels of employment. But figures published recently by Enfield Council showing an overall decrease in the number of teenage pregnancies across the majority of Edmonton between 2001 and [...]

Today Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North, pledged her commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day by signing a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons to honour those who perished in the Holocaust, one year after visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau with Norwich schoolchildren. Chloe Smith will also support Holocaust Memorial Day [...]

You may have seen the bad news contained within the sheets of today's Enfield Advertiser and Enfield Independent. Aylward Academy, formerly Gladys Aylward School, on Windmill Road has learnt that it is to lose over 40% of the funding that was originally allocated to it under Labour's Building Schools for [...]

               I welcome the principle of free schools. If parents or others wish to start a new school to fill a need in the provision of school places, that is fine by me.             I have been approached by a group who want to establish a new secondary  school to cater [...]

In the twelve months up to last October just 137 new homes were commenced by builders in my constituency. (NHBC statistics). This puts into context the big arguments underway  about how much new building the Council  should allow. Wokingham Borough is of course bigger than my constituency, but current build [...]

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, today responded formally to Norfolk County Council's 'Big Conversation' consultation, which closes on 10th January. She has provided a portfolio of views on behalf of constituents who have contacted her on the County Council's proposed budget changes. Issues raised include: transport, adult social care, children's [...]